


Always

by Windify



Series: The Katana Chronicles [12]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Caring, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Parent Splinter (TMNT), Late Night Conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windify/pseuds/Windify
Summary: After mission went wrong, Leonardo seeks comfort in Splinter’s arms.
Relationships: Leonardo & Splinter (TMNT)
Series: The Katana Chronicles [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099514
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I made a huge mistake. I watched one episode of Rise of the TMNT in my mother tongue because I was curious how they dubbed it.  
> I should’ve know it’ll be bad when they translated the opening intro. But holy shell, I was not expecting it to be that bad. I am traumatized. It’s so bad I ran crying and screaming to my younger sister.
> 
> Anyway, writing is how I calm down so here you have hurt Leo seeking comfort. ^^

He heard the door creak slightly and then close, the sound waking him up. There were no footsteps, no other noise, yet he knew it was Leonardo before he had opened his eyes.

Splinter stirred in his bed, sitting up. Even in the dark he could see that his eldest son was maskless and there were no swords strapped to his shell, either.

“Leonardo?” he asked gently, knowing his son would not disturb him if it wasn’t important. “What it is, my son?”

His voice was shaking. “Father, I…” Leonardo stopped, unable to get the words out, his breathing too quick and shallow, uneven.

His son was crying, Splinter realized with a painful jab in heart. He drew the covers aside, moving a little. “Come here, Leonardo.”

Not needing to be told twice, his son made a few quick steps and then slumped to the edge of Splinter’s bed. The old rat immediately took his son’s head and let him bury into his chest, shielding him from the world. Leonardo sobbed, the sound to ugly and intense it ached to listen to it. His eldest son did not seek comfort often, the least of all the turtles in fact, but when he did, it was always hearbreaking.

Whenever Leonardo sought him out in distress, Splinter felt utterly powerless. Leonardo was always so strong, never stepped back or stopped, never cowered before anything. Splinter taught him to be the leader and he fulfilled his father’s wish excellently, so seeing him like this, down and vulnerable, broke him every single time.

“It is alright, Leonardo,” he whispered softly, rubbing his muzzle against the turtle’s head.

“We nearly lost Donnie,” he hissed. “We – if I was slower –”

Splinter squeezed him harder. “You weren’t. You all came back, and that is important.”

Leonardo was shaking, his voice small and full of accusing self-hatred. “It’s my fault.”

And the words itself were a reminder why Leonardo came to him, not to his brothers. They were a reminder how much tonight’s mission affected him and Splinter knew that Leonardo will once again train harder in the following days or weeks.

“ _Musuko_.” Splinter lift Leonardo’s head, searching in the darkness for the deep saphire blue eyes, now reddened from tears. “The burder you carry is heavy, but not every mistake is the leader’s fault. Sometimes accidents happens, accidents you can’t control. You didn’t fail, Leonardo, you succeed. You led your brothers home and thanks to that, Donatello will survive.”

He wiped the tears away from his son’s face, holding his cheeks. “Don’t be scared, musuko. Everyone is all right.” _Everyone but you._

Leonardo said nothing and so Splinter held him, because it was the only thing he could do for his troubled son. He knew his words didn’t reach him, not fully, knew that Leonardo will doubt himself and question what he could have done better to prevent this, his mind too stubborn than to listen and his heart too full of love and worry about his brothers.

If the only thing Splinter could do was provide comfort, then he would gladly comply. Quietly, he started humming old japanese lullaby, one he sang to his sons when they were little. It wasn’t long before Leonardo started to relax and his sobs quieted down, before he went limp against him. Yet Splinter kept on hugging him, never letting go.

“You may be the one who carries the responsibility, Leonardo,” he whispered lovingly, “but I will always be there to help you, my son. Always.”


End file.
